Chapter 47

"May I ask which prestigious family you come from, to have achieved such a level of cultivation at such a young age?"

You Xuande, seeing Wang Zhong drink, asked out of curiosity.

"My master is the Mad Taoist of the Nine Palaces Sword School!"

Wang Zhong didn't beat around the bush and directly mentioned the Mad Taoist's name.

"Is the Mad Taoist of the Nine Palaces Sword School a disciple of Li Jinglin?"

You Xuande's eyes showed surprise and he asked for confirmation.

Born in 1906, You Xuande was a contemporary of the sword immortal Li Jinglin, and both were from Wudang Mountain. It was acceptable to address Li Jinglin by his name.

"That's correct, my grandmaster is the sword immortal Li Jinglin!"

You Xuande could directly call Li Jinglin by his name, but Wang Zhong couldn't. When mentioning Li Jinglin, he needed to use a respectful title.

"Do you have any tokens?"

You Xuande, now convinced of Wang Zhong's identity, still needed to be cautious about the lineage and tradition.

"Yes, my master passed down the Xuanwu Sword on his deathbed and said that this sword is the token of the Nine Palaces Sword School. Whoever holds the Xuanwu Sword is the head of the Nine Palaces Sword School!"

Wang Zhong took out a three-foot-long sword with a green sharkskin scabbard from his backpack. The scabbard was inscribed with the characters "Xuanwu" in gold.

Based on the records, You Xuande verified several hidden features of the Xuanwu Sword. He then had the other old Taoists check it one by one. After everyone nodded, You Xuande returned the sword.

"Since you come from the Nine Palaces Sword School, you should be the sixteenth-generation disciple of Wudang. However, because your martial arts have already transcended the realm of transformation, according to the rules, you are promoted to the fourteenth generation. The Nine Palaces Sword School lost its leader due to Li Jinglin's sudden death from a pill, and during the ten-year turmoil, the disciples fled overseas, leading to the near extinction of the Nine Palaces lineage. Wudang Mountain suffered unprecedented losses. As a grandmaster, you should shoulder the responsibility of reviving the school!"

You Xuande said with expectation.

"Senior Brother, the Nine Palaces Sword School's classics and techniques have been severely damaged, which was a lifelong regret for my master!"

Wang Zhong said with some difficulty.

"The seventeen lineages of Wudang all come from the teachings of Zhenren Zhang Sanfeng and have the duty to support each other. Since the Nine Palaces Sword School's classics have been lost, your school can freely copy our lineage's classics!"

You Xuande, being a grandmaster, had a broad-mindedness that few could match.

"On behalf of the ancestors and descendants of the Nine Palaces Sword School, I thank all the senior brothers for their great kindness!"

Wang Zhong looked at the Zhenren with gratitude and thanked them.

"We are all descendants of Zhang Sanfeng, and this is how it should be!"

The other Zhenren quickly waved their hands.

"We should hold a grand ceremony to celebrate the return of the Nine Palaces lineage to Wudang!"

You Xuande said with excitement.

"The headmaster is right. The return of the Nine Palaces lineage can comfort the ancestors and also encourage the overseas disciples to return to the mountain for ancestral worship."

"The return of the lineage is an unprecedented blessing. Heaven is reviving Wudang and the Taoist religion!"

The other Zhenren from different lineages also nodded in agreement.

The Wudang School is composed of seventeen lineages, including the Zhang Sanfeng lineage, the Lada lineage, the Songhe lineage, and the Nine Palaces lineage. Each lineage has its own head. Although You Xuande is the head of Wudang, he still needs to consult with the heads of other lineages on major issues.

"The Nine Palaces Sword School's lineage has been interrupted. I must ask the senior brothers to impart all their knowledge to Wang Zhong!"

You Xuande bowed to the heads of the lineages and pleaded.

"Of course, the seventeen lineages of Wudang share the same roots and the same ancestors!"

The heads of the lineages said in unison.

The unity of the Wudang lineages is partly due to their shared roots and partly because they supported each other during the ten-year turmoil, allowing them to survive and pass on their traditions.

This unity and mutual support led to the sharing of classics and techniques, which is why You Xuande could easily integrate the seventeen lineages into the Southern Wudang Taoist Association!

The Nine Palaces Sword School's disciples fled overseas, and the school's classics were almost lost. However, the current head, Wang Zhong, is a young grandmaster. If nothing goes wrong, he can suppress Wudang for decades, giving Wudang the time to cultivate the next generation of grandmasters, which is a great blessing for the Southern Wudang Taoist Association.

After all, You Xuande is already old, and Wang Zhong's timely appearance can fill the gap in Wudang's high-level combat strength!

Therefore, You Xuande and the Zhenren from other lineages will spare no effort to help Wang Zhong and the Nine Palaces Sword School.

After all, helping Wang Zhong is helping themselves!

The Dian Tian Grand Ceremony is one of the most solemn ceremonies in Taoism, requiring complex and meticulous preparations and the invitation of the Celestial Master, the Three Mao, the Three Pure Ones, and other Zhenren from the Five Mountains and Ten Peaks.

After discussion, the ceremony was set for ten days later.

Wang Zhong used this rare break to consolidate and adapt to his grandmaster realm.

"The Dian Tian Grand Ceremony is a ritual to communicate with the heavens. Only after the ancestors in heaven approve can you become the current head of the Nine Palaces Sword School!"

You Xuande explained to Wang Zhong with a smile.

"Martial artists have various realms such as Mingjing, Anjing, Huajing, and Jindan. Taoists also have ranks, including Dao Tong, Dao Shi, Dao Zhang, and Zhenren. Dao Tong is the lowest rank, requiring only Mingjing cultivation. Zhenren is the highest rank, and only those with Jindan cultivation can qualify. Now, in the era of the decline of the Dharma, Jindan is extinct, and Huajing grandmasters can also be called Zhenren."

"Our Wudang lineage comes from Zhenren Zhang Sanfeng and is part of the Quanzhen lineage, which does not prohibit marriage. The Wudang lineage has thousands of techniques, but the fundamental techniques are only three. One is the art of Zhu Yu, which involves drawing talismans, catching ghosts, and seeking medical help. Dao Tong can learn this. The second is the method of venerating and inviting deities, which involves long-term worship and visualization. Dao Shi can learn this. The third is the method of internal and external Jindan, which involves refining external Jindan through herbs and minerals and internal Jindan through the alchemical process of the universe. Only Dao Zhang can learn this."

"Please, Senior Brother, explain the Jindan technique!"

Wang Zhong's lineage was incomplete, and the Mad Taoist only left the method of Huajing cultivation. You Xuande's willingness to teach the Jindan technique was exactly what Wang Zhong needed.

"Since you are a grandmaster, you are naturally qualified to learn!"

In the following days, You Xuande explained the "Jindan Direct Guide," "The Great Way of Jindan," and the annotations and insights of the ancestors to Wang Zhong.

Many of Wang Zhong's confusions were resolved, and his path forward became clearer, making one appreciate the depth of a thousand-year-old lineage.

The ten days passed quickly.

Today, Wudang Mountain appeared particularly solemn. Not only did the Taoists from various lineages gather at the Purple Heaven Palace, but even those who were in seclusion in the mountains were invited out.

The receptionist was already waiting at the mountain gate to welcome the high-ranking figures from the Five Mountains and Ten Peaks.

Visitors were shocked by the scene, as Taoists in green octagonal robes streamed into the Purple Heaven Palace in waves, and occasionally, Zhenren in dark red crane robes could be seen.

At the foot of Wudang Mountain, believers recited scriptures devoutly and slowly climbed up under the guidance of the Taoists.

"What's happening at Wudang?"

Visitors pulled the receptionist and young Taoists, asking incessantly.

"Wudang Mountain will hold a Dian Tian Grand Ceremony today to celebrate the return of a grandmaster to the Taoist lineage!"

This news spread like the wind throughout the Wudang Mountain scenic area. All the visitors showed excitement and, despite their fatigue, followed the crowd up to the Purple Heaven Palace.

Leaving aside the frenzy of the visitors and believers, around ten o'clock in the morning, the Zhenren from various lineages gathered at the Purple Heaven Palace.

The altars, deities, and ritual objects needed for the ceremony were already prepared.

The ritual platform was adorned with flags: the Azure Dragon flag in the east, the Vermilion Bird flag in the south, the White Tiger flag in the west, and the Black Tortoise flag in the north. The Yellow Dragon flag was placed in the center.

Under the protection of the flags, there were also the twenty-eight constellations, the Six Ding and Six Jia protectors, and the Four Heavenly Kings, among other deities from the nine heavens and ten earths.

These deities were all from the celestial realms.

The Dian Tian Grand Ceremony's sacrificial text can communicate with countless deities, celestial immortals, and the ancestors, who can transmit their commands through spirit possession.

Hundreds of Taoists began reciting mantras around the golden statue of the True Wu Emperor early in the morning. The ritual drums and banners rose, and the entire Purple Heaven Palace exuded a sacred and solemn atmosphere.

If there were people with the ability to see the spiritual, they would see the entire Purple Heaven Palace enveloped in golden light!

Golden flowers were faintly falling from the sky!

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